As water flows through your pipes, some of those calcium and magnesium minerals get left behind. Over time, those minerals can build up, causing unsightly stains and scaling. One of the most obvious signs of hard water buildup is in the toilet.
Barkeeper's Friend has a thick cleaner that may be useful for this task. Use a plunger to force as much of the water out of the toilet as possible, and apply the BKF to the inside of the entire toilet bowl. If the stains remain, it may be time to give in and use a pumice stone.
Hard water buildup in your toilet can be one of the most obvious signs. A white or rust-colored ring forming at the waterline or staining at the base of the bowl may appear. In more extreme cases, limescale and calcium accumulation can plug the water jets under the toilet rim, resulting in slow, weak flushes.
Citric acid
More importantly, it's probably even more effective than vinegar for getting rid of that brown stain in the toilet. Simply pour a kettle of almost boiling water into the bowl, follow up with 250ml of citric acid, and leave it for some hours – preferably overnight. The next day, scrub and flush.
Brown stains can also come from iron bacteria, manganese bacteria or sulfur bacteria. These organisms grow in soil or shallow groundwater with high iron, manganese or sulfur concentrations. Water containing these bacteria leaves behind slimy brown rust deposits in plumbing fixtures and toilets.
Urine scale and limescale leave visible deposits in the toilet. Whereas limescale is a mineral, urine scale contains several mineral salts. The waste in urine contains phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium. These substances produce brown or yellow stains in the toilet bowl.
Vinegar is a natural acid that can dissolve calcium deposits. You can pour vinegar into the toilet bowl and let it sit for a few hours before scrubbing with a toilet brush.
To prevent calcium carbonate from piling up into your cistern, pour a single cup of white vinegar into it. The mixture should be three parts white vinegar to one water. After you pour it into the cistern, mix it slowly and carefully until it's evenly distributed.
A frequent cause of smelly drains and dirty toilets are urine sediments. Urine scale occurs as urine particles build up on the porcelain. As hard water evaporates, it leaves behind calcium and magnesium deposits which combine to form limescale.
Don't leave CLR for longer than two minutes.
Again, CLR is acidic, which makes it effective, but also means it can cause damage if left in contact with surfaces for too long. Always rinse away with cool water after two minutes of contact.
If the clog still seems to be intact, start over at step 1 and repeat the process a couple of times. For extra-stubborn clogs, you can let the fizz mixture sit overnight or combine this method with plunging.
In this case, a basic toilet cleaning product may not be enough, and you will need to use undiluted bleach. As a one-stop cleaning solution, pour one cup of bleach around the bowl. Then tackle every inch with a toilet brush or a handheld scrub brush. Let it sit for five minutes, then flush.
Use Vinegar & Baking Soda
White vinegar is a natural solution that can be utilized to dissolve calcium buildup. Sitting overnight, you will be able to remove lime buildup from the drain while avoiding the harsh chemicals in traditional drain cleaners.
Cleaning with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in the bathroom can work really well. To clean your toilet with vinegar, pour a cup of vinegar in the toilet bowl and let sit overnight. The next morning, sprinkle a little baking soda into the bowl, scrub, and then flush clean.
Let It Sit For 12 Hours
Leave the vinegar and water mixture in the toilet tank for 12 hours without flushing the toilet. This is why this cleaning process is best done overnight, as you are less likely to need the bathroom throughout the night than during the day.
CLR Multi-Use Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover
Keep in Mind: It's recommended you remove the toilet bowl water before cleaning. CLR stands for Calcium, Lime, and Rust, so it's no surprise that is one of the best toilet cleaners for removing rust.
Borax is a great cleaning product that, when combined with vinegar, can successfully eliminate hard water and mineral deposits. You can use this combination in your toilet and most other plumbing fixtures, too. Here's what you need to do: Grab the Borax and pour ¼ cup into your toilet bowl.
For extra-stubborn clogs, you can let the fizz mixture sit overnight or combine this method with plunging. If your toilet remains clogged or continues to get clogged, this may be an indication of plumbing problems such as mineral buildup or pressure issues.
Cleaning professionals and plumbers recommend cleaning with vinegar to remove buildup and stains from toilet tanks and other surfaces. Mix it with baking soda, however, and you could damage your tank and plumbing.
When cleaning a toilet bowl, WD-40 works by softening the rust and lime deposits, so they can be easily wiped away. You don't need to use much of it. Simply spray on the affected area, wait a minute or two and brush it away with a regular toilet brush.
The best way to get rid of stubborn limescale deposits is by soaking the affected area in lemon juice or white vinegar. Some fixtures may be harder to clean than others, so we've put together a step-by-step guide to help you achieve scale-free taps, showerheads and plugholes.